Illinois Patent of the Month – November 2022
The first single-cell analysis was performed using an electronic microscope in the 1970s. Cell and tissue analysis techniques have grown a lot in accuracy and capability since then. Unfortunately, these analyses remain dependent on the quality of the sample’s preparation. Small mistakes or inadequacies in this preparation can result in inaccurate data, misinterpretations, and misdiagnoses.
Accurate diagnostics and cytological analyses are the first step in cancer treatment. NanoCytomics, LLC, a biotechnology company focused on helping people survive cancer, have patented an automated staining system to support proper preparation.
Their automated cell staining system offers a low-volume fully automated benchtop staining on a cytological slide. By automating the process, the risk of mis-preparation is greatly reduced. The system uses a staining chamber with a defined staining reservoir. The staining reagents are held in the reservoir and cyclically released in small, controlled volumes. The precision control is achieved using solenoid pumps and valves. The chamber controls various environmental factors including humidity, pressure, and temperature. With greater control, the system achieves greater accuracy and precision.
This technology supports NanoCytomics in their path to designing cancer risk-stratification tests. Reliable sample preparation is crucial in testing their proprietary biophotonics technology platform known as partial wave spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy. The company is designing this platform to identify cellular abnormalities at the nanoscale level.
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